OUM Is For Weenies, Real Developers Create Their Own Method!

When I encounter a situation where people could greatly benefit from a methodology to structure their development process, and suggest to have a look at Oracle Unified Method (OUM), I often get as a reaction that OUM is too big and too complex.

Funny thing is that I hear this often being said by people that some years ago took months if not years to learn methods like the Oracle's Custom Development Method (CDM) and Project Management Method (PJM). Sometimes it is even said by people that never had a look at OUM themselves and only judge based on hear-saying.

But what would be hilarious would it not waste so much resources is that, rather than pick a method of the shelf, people start working on some method of their own. It usually starts small, initiated by an imperative need to write down a specific procedure and capture some standards & guidelines etc. But from there the library grows and before you know it they have spend man-months on defining their own method, spending a multiple of the budget it would have taken to adapt OUM, including a customization to the organization specific needs.

Therefore guys, before you start inventing your own wheel, have a look at OUM and check if that can make you start rolling.